My Favorite Lizards

     The American west has many kinds of lizards in its deserts and other habitats.  But the eastern United States doesn't have near the west's diversity of those reptiles.  But several species of lizards do live in the east and three of them I have seen fairly often over the years, including five-lined skinks, fence lizards and green anoles.  And they are cute.  For those reasons, they are my favorite lizards. 
     All my favorite lizards are small, being only a few inches long, numerous, harmless to us, camouflaged and generally hide out, except when hunting invertebrate prey and sunning themselves on sunlit rocks, trees or other objects.  They all lay eggs in sheltered places.  And the young are on their own from the start. 
     These little reptiles are not easy to see because of their blending in.  And all those I have experienced, I saw by being in the right place at the right time by pure luck.
     They are well camouflaged for good reason.  Some of them already fall prey to hawks, skunks, certain snakes and other kinds of predators that see or smell through the lizards' camouflage.  But the mortality would be higher without their blending into their surroundings.
     All reptiles are cold-blooded and scaly, including my favorite lizards.  Those in the north must seek shelter in autumn to hibernate through winter.  And all take on the temperature around them.  Reptiles bask in sunlight to warm themselves to the point of being able to have the energy to hunt food and mates.
     Five-lined skinks range across most of the eastern United States.  They do have five dark lines on top that run lengthwise from their snouts to the tips of their tails.  Juveniles have more pronounced stripes and light-blue tails, making them attractive lizards.  Here in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, for example, they live in crevices between boulders along waterways and railroad cuts and in cracks in the rock walls of buildings and the locks of remnant canals that were in this area.  Fortunately, they are quick to dart into those sheltering places at the least hint of danger.       
     Fence lizards also live in most of the eastern United States.  They are gray above, with darker markings, both of which camouflage them.  Males have dark-blue throats and black on their bellies to impress females of their kind for breeding.   
     Fence lizards live among trees that they frequently climb, and, like skinks, live among rocks in locks, buildings and cliffs where they find shelter from cold and predators.  I find them locally in the same places I see skinks. 
     Green anoles are confined to the Deep South up to the North Carolina coast.  They are green all over, but can quickly change to brown.  Both colors allow them to blend into their surroundings to the point they seem to disappear.  They mostly live in trees and on vines.  Males have a red throat pouch they inflate when courting a female of their kind.
     I have seen green anoles in abundance in various places of Florida, and in the suburbs of Charlotte, North Carolina.  But they live abundantly in all parts of the Deep South.  
     Though they are hard to spot because of their small sizes and camouflage, these little lizards are cute, interesting and harmless to us.  They are worth experiencing when spotted.